On the recordApril 26, 2010
Madam President, I, too, am disappointed that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided against even debating Wall Street reform legislation in the Senate. It has been almost 2 years since our financial system stood on the brink of absolute catastrophe. The meltdown on Wall Street has wreaked havoc on Main Street across America. Millions of Americans lost their homes, their jobs, their retirement savings. Taxpayers were asked to fund a massive bailout of Wall Street. Here we are, a full 2 years later, trying to debate a bill that will establish new rules of the road, create a more stable financial system, and ensure the American taxpayer will not be asked to bail out Wall Street banks again. I am sorry to say my colleagues today voted to stand up for Wall Street instead of standing up for all the people on Main Street who lost their job and their entire life savings. They voted against the seniors who saw their 401(k)s instantly eaten away by the reckless games Wall Street was playing with their hard- earned money. In my State, this recession, the worst since the Great Depression, has meant that currently half a million North Carolinians are out of work. In many families, both the husband and wife are out of a job. They are worried how they will put food on the table for their families.…





